Page 66 of His Highland Duchess
“Lysander,” she said happily, breathing a sigh of relief, for she had worried after yesterday and the negative energy she had felt surrounding him, that he might spend the entire day avoiding her. “I was wondering when ye would come to check on me.”
He lingered in the doorway and watched her for a moment. A stab of panic struck her, that sense that all her fears and worries were real and this right here was the end… only for her to see his face, the smile he wore, and in that, the weight that she had been carrying was lifted from her.
“Ye look rather happy about something,” she said with a playful tone. “Does the sight of me in pain bring ye such delight?”
He chuckled. “Is that what you think this smile is for?”
“What else?” she said. “But if I am mistaken, please…” She gestured for him to come closer. “Enlighten me.”
He walked into the room and sat on the end of her bed. Then, a hand rested on her leg, and he gave it a soft squeeze. “We need to talk,” he said. “Honestly…” He shook his head. “I think we have needed to talk for some time.”
“I could not agree more…” Were it not for the way his eyes smiled at her, she might have been worried.But they are smiling for me, which is all I need to ken what he is here to say.
“These last few days…” He exhaled. “These last weeks, in fact, have been wonderful, Margaret. Although that word feels as if it falls painfully shy of just how much I have enjoyed myself. This marriage, when it began…” Again, he shook his head but continued to smile. “There is no need to say the circumstances were not ideal.”
“An understatement if I have ever heard one.”
“But things change,” he said. “We have changed. And after meeting your family this week, after seeing you with them, it made me realize something about you.”
“I am listening.” She sat herself up, meeting his eyes, smiling fully as her heart began to beat.
“I feared when we first wed that you would be a bad influence. You know this…” He looked at her for an answer.
“Oh, I am too aware,” she chuckled.
“My daughters are all that matters to me,” he said. “For them, there is nothing I would not do. And my worry was that you…” He squeezed her leg again. “That you were not the type of person I wanted them to be around. Surely, you cannot blame me for such thoughts,” he then added with a cheeky wink.
“I am rather mischievous,” she grinned.
“But I was wrong,” he said, his tone turned serious now. “About everything. My daughters love you, and for good reason. Since you have arrived here, I have seen them grow and change in ways I might have never imagined. And not just them, but me also. I…” He bit his lip as he considered. “Perhaps I have changed most of all.”
“As have I,” she agreed, shifting closer, ignoring the pain from her bruises. “We both have. But that is a guid thing, yes?”
“I think so,” he said, shifting closer, stiffly so that he was right beside her. His hand on her thigh reached for her hand, and she gave it to him. “We have not discussed it yet. This marriage… where it may lead. What will happen at the end of the Season? I think now it is time for that discussion.”
What was I so worried about? Now that the time has come, I cannae even remember. Of course he cares for me. Of course he wants me to stay. How could it be anything else?
She held his hand and looked into his eyes so he would know exactly what she was thinking… only for her eyes to then stray suddenly, spying for the first time what appeared to be a letter clutched in his other hand. “What is that?” she asked.
“What?”
“That?” She indicated the letter. “Is that a letter? Who is it for?”
His eyes turned wide with fear. “Oh…” He was quick to shove the letter into his coat. “Nothing. Nothing you need to concern yourself with…”
“Lysander…” She could see that he was lying. What was more, she could see how worried he was doing it. “What is wrong?”
“It is not worth worrying over.” He took her hand again, both now holding her own. “What matters is us, that is what I came here to speak of.”
She wanted to ignore the letter. Oh, how she did. This conversation was one she’d wanted to have for days now, and it was right here, on the tip of their tongues, ready to be spoken so that she might lay her fears to rest. But in these past few weeks, Margaret had gotten to know Lysander as well as anyone, and she could see in his eyes that he was lying to her. Worse than that, he was terrified by whatever had forced this lie.
Ignore it, Margaret. Deal with it later…
“Please, Lysander…” She sighed, hating that she was so stubborn. “I ken something is wrong. And somehow, I get the sense it concerns me. So, before ye say what ye came here to say, be honest with me.” She held his eyes, her stare pleading. “I think we both deserve that.”
Lysander sighed and bowed his head. Shoulders slumping. Body shrinking in on itself. Just as she knew him, he knew her well enough to know that he could not talk her out of this.Why am I so damn stubborn?
“It is a letter from Lady Brimstone…” Slowly, he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out the letter. “One, she has been sending all over the ton…” He could not bring himself to look at her as he held it out for her to take. “Vile words from a vile woman.”
